With known cable railway installations of this type, a drive motor is provided either at the bottom station or at the top station. By means of the motor, the cable return disk is driven via a set of gears and coupling. A set of gears is necessary to reduce the speed of rotation of the cable return disk with which the carrying and hauling cable is moved. However, such a drive is disadvantageous, since in addition to the electric motor it is necessary to provide the set of gears and a coupling which prove to break down, and also because of noise caused by the set of gears and finally since these components are liable to wear, for which reason they are again liable to break down.